CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF GABHRA

Now, with one thing and another, the High King of Ireland had got to be
someway bitter against Finn and the Fianna; and one time that he had a
gathering of his people he spoke out to them, and he bade them to
remember all the harm that had been done them through the Fianna, and
all their pride, and the tribute they asked. "And as to myself," he
said, "I would sooner die fighting the Fianna, if I could bring them
down along with me, than live with Ireland under them the way it is
now."

All his people were of the same mind, and they said they would make no
delay, but would attack the Fianna and make an end of them. "And we will
have good days of joy and of feasting," they said, "when once Almhuin is
clear of them."

And the High King began to make plans against Finn; and he sent to all
the men of Ireland to come and help him. And when all was ready, he sent
and bade Osgar to come to a feast he was making at Teamhair.

And Osgar, that never was afraid before any enemy, set out for Teamhair,
and three hundred of his men with him. And on the way they saw a woman
of the Sidhe washing clothes at a river, and there was the colour of
blood on the water where she was washing them. And Osgar said to her:
"There is red on the clothes you are washing; and it is for the dead you
are washing them." And the woman answered him, and it is what she said:
"It is not long till the ravens will be croaking over your own head
after the battle." "Is there any weakness in our eyes," said Osgar,
"that a little story like that would set us crying? And do another
foretelling for us now," he said, "and tell us will any man of our
enemies fall by us before we ourselves are made an end of?"

"There will nine hundred fall by yourself," she said; "and the High
King himself will get his death-wound from you."

Osgar and his men went on then to the king's house at Teamhair, and they
got good treatment, and the feast was made ready, and they were three
days at pleasure and at drinking.

And on the last day of the drinking, the High King called out with a
loud voice, and he asked Osgar would he make an exchange of spears with
him. "Why do you ask that exchange," said Osgar, "when I myself and my
spear were often with yourself in time of battle? And you would not ask
it of me," he said, "if Finn and the Fianna were with me now." "I would
ask it from any fighting man among you," said the king, "and for rent
and tribute along with it." "Any gold or any treasure you might ask of
us, we would give it to you," said Osgar, "but it is not right for you
to ask my spear." There were very high words between them then, and they
threatened one another, and at the last the High King said: "I will put
my spear of the seven spells out through your body." "And I give my word
against that," said Osgar, "I will put my spear of the nine spells
between the meeting of your hair and your beard."

With that he and his men rose up and went out of Teamhair, and they
stopped to rest beside a river, and there they heard the sound of a very
sorrowful tune, that was like keening, played on a harp. And there was
great anger on Osgar when he heard that, and he rose up and took his
arms and roused his people, and they went on again to where Finn was.
And there came after them a messenger from the High King, and the
message he brought was this, that he never would pay tribute to the
Fianna or bear with them at all from that time.

And when Finn heard that, he sent a challenge of battle, and he gathered
together all the Fianna that were left to him. But as to the sons of
Morna, it was to the High King of Ireland they gathered.

And it was at the hill of Gabhra the two armies met, and there were
twenty men with the King of Ireland for every man that was with Finn.

And it is a very hard battle was fought that day, and there were great
deeds done on both sides; and there never was a greater battle fought in
Ireland than that one.

And as to Osgar, it would be hard to tell all he killed on that day;
five score of the Sons of the Gael, and five score fighting men from the
Country of Snow, and seven score of the Men of Green Swords that never
went a step backward, and four hundred from the Country of the Lion, and
five score of the sons of kings; and the shame was for the King of
Ireland.

But as to Osgar himself, that began the day so swift and so strong, at
the last he was like leaves on a strong wind, or like an aspen-tree that
is falling. But when he saw the High King near him, he made for him like
a wave breaking on the strand; and the king saw him coming, and shook
his greedy spear, and made a cast of it, and it went through his body
and brought him down on his right knee, and that was the first grief of
the Fianna. But Osgar himself was no way daunted, but he made a cast of
his spear of the nine spells that went into the High King at the meeting
of the hair and the beard, and gave him his death. And when the men
nearest to the High King saw that, they put the king's helmet up on a
pillar, the way his people would think he was living yet. But Osgar saw
it, and he lifted a thin bit of a slab-stone that was on the ground
beside him, and he made a cast of it that broke the helmet where it was;
and then he himself fell like a king.

And there fell in that battle the seven sons of Caoilte, and the son of
the King of Lochlann that had come to give them his help, and it would
be hard to count the number of the Fianna that fell in that battle.

And when it was ended, those that were left of them went looking for
their dead. And Caoilte stooped down over his seven brave sons, and
every living man of the Fianna stooped over his own dear friends. And it
was a lasting grief to see all that were stretched in that place, but
the Fianna would not have taken it to heart the way they did, but for
being as they were, a beaten race.

And as to Oisin, he went looking for Osgar, and it is the way he found
him, lying stretched, and resting on his left arm and his broken shield
beside him, and his sword in his hand yet, and his blood about him on
every side. And he put out his hand to Oisin, and Oisin took it and gave
out a very hard cry. And Osgar said: "It is glad I am to see you safe,
my father." And Oisin had no answer to give him. And just then Caoilte
came where they were, and he looked at Osgar. "What way are you now, my
darling?" he said. "The way you would like me to be," said Osgar.

Then Caoilte searched the wound, and when he saw how the spear had torn
its way through to the back, he cried out, and a cloud came over him and
his strength failed him. "O Osgar," he said, "you are parted from the
Fianna, and they themselves must be parted from battle from this out,"
he said, "and they must pay their tribute to the King of Ireland."

Then Caoilte and Oisin raised up Osgar on their shields and brought him
to a smooth green hill till they would take his dress off. And there was
not a hands-breadth of his white body that was without a wound.

And when the rest of the Fianna saw what way Osgar was, there was not a
man of them that keened his own son or his brother, but every one of
them came keening Osgar.

And after a while, at noonday, they saw Finn coming towards them, and
what was left of the Sun-banner raised on a spear-shaft. All of them
saluted Finn then, but he made no answer, and he came up to the hill
where Osgar was. And when Osgar saw him coming he saluted him, and he
said: "I have got my desire in death, Finn of the sharp arms." And Finn
said: "It is worse the way you were, my son, on the day of the battle at
Beinn Edair when the wild geese could swim on your breast, and it was my
hand that gave you healing." "There can no healing be done for me now
for ever," said Osgar, "since the King of Ireland put the spear of seven
spells through my body." And Finn said: "It is a pity it was not I
myself fell in sunny scarce Gabhra, and you going east and west at the
head of the Fianna." "And if it was yourself fell in the battle," said
Osgar, "you would not hear me keening after you; for no man ever knew
any heart in me," he said, "but a heart of twisted horn, and it covered
with iron. But the howling of the dogs beside me," he said, "and the
keening of the old righting men, and the crying of the women one after
another, those are the things that are vexing me." And Finn said: "Child
of my child, calf of my calf, white and slender, it is a pity the way
you are. And my heart is starting like a deer," he said, "and I am weak
after you and after the Fianna of Ireland. And misfortune has followed
us," he said; "and farewell now to battles and to a great name, and
farewell to taking tributes; for every good thing I ever had is gone
from me now," he said.

And when Osgar heard those words he stretched out his hands, and his
eyelids closed. And Finn turned away from the rest, and he cried tears
down; and he never shed a tear through the whole length of his lifetime
but only for Osgar and for Bran.

And all that were left of the Fianna gave three gorrowful cries after
Osgar, for there was not one of the Fianna beyond him, unless it might
be Finn or Oisin.

And it is many of the Fianna were left dead in Gabhra, and graves were
made for them. And as to Lugaidh's Son, that was so tall a man and so
good a fighter, they made a very wide grave for him, as was fitting for
a king. And the whole length of the rath at Gabhra, from end to end, it
is that was the grave of Osgar, son of Oisin, son of Finn.

And as to Finn himself, he never had peace or pleasure again from that
day.